A Narrative of the Expedition to Botany-Bay eBook

Our passage to Port Jackson took up but few hours,
and those were spent far from unpleasantly. The
evening was bright, and the prospect before us such
as might justify sanguine expectation. Having
passed between the capes which form its entrance,
we found ourselves in a port superior, in extent and
excellency, to all we had seen before. We continued
to run up the harbour about four miles, in a westerly
direction, enjoying the luxuriant prospect of its
shores, covered with trees to the water’s edge,
among which many of the Indians were frequently seen,
till we arrived at a small snug cove on the southern
side, on whose banks the plan of our operations was
destined to commence.

The landing of a part of the marines and convicts
took place the next day, and on the following, the
remainder was disembarked. Business now sat on
every brow, and the scene, to an indifferent spectator,
at leisure to contemplate it, would have been highly
picturesque and amusing. In one place, a party
cutting down the woods; a second, setting up a blacksmith’s
forge; a third, dragging along a load of stones or
provisions; here an officer pitching his marquee, with
a detachment of troops parading on one side of him,
and a cook’s fire blazing up on the other.
Through the unwearied diligence of those at the head
of the different departments, regularity was, however,
soon introduced, and, as far as the unsettled state
of matters would allow, confusion gave place to system.

Into the head of the cove, on which our establishment
is fixed, runs a small stream of fresh water, which
serves to divide the adjacent country to a little
distance, in the direction of north and south.
On the eastern side of this rivulet the Governor fixed
his place of residence, with a large body of convicts
encamped near him; and on the western side was disposed
the remaining part of these people, near the marine
encampment. From this last two guards, consisting
of two subalterns, as many serjeants, four corporals,
two drummers, and forty-two private men, under the
orders of a Captain of the day, to whom all reports
were made, daily mounted for the public security,
with such directions to use force, in case of necessity,
as left no room for those who were the object of the
order, but to remain peaceable, or perish by the bayonet.

As the straggling of the convicts was not only a desertion
from the public labour, but might be attended with
ill consequences to the settlement, in case of their
meeting the natives, every care was taken to prevent
it. The Provost Martial with his men was ordered
to patrole the country around, and the convicts informed,
that the severest punishment would be inflicted on
transgressors. In spite, however, of all our
precautions, they soon found the road to Botany Bay,
in visits to the French, who would gladly have dispensed
with their company.